This week we started working on getting the drywall mud on the walls and corners. I have always thought I wasn’t able to tape and mud well. I grew up with a dad who worked in home construction, which is amazing for me and my love of fixing up old buildings! But when I was shown how to do drywall mudding in my 20’s, I wasn’t very fast and was told that I spent too much time trying to get it just right on the first swipe across (did I mention that I’m a perfectionist?). So drywall self-esteem issues followed me for decades until this week when my husband told me he thought I was applying too much pressure with the taping knife. He said it should be like the gesture of petting a cat.
And I know a little somethin’ about petting cats… so yeah, my technique was purrfect after that comment!
Okay, back to work. We had lots of corners and funny angles in the drywall to tape and mud, but here’s how the bathroom looks before the messy sanding had begun. It’s starting to appear more finished!
The “ceiling” had quite the granular texture on it, so out came the sander to grind some of that off and then a quick skim coat of drywall mud to even it out a bit.
I wanted to take down the texture some since the ceilings start at 4′ and go up, I could imagine scraping my knuckles on the sloped ceiling. I will texture the walls somewhat, to blend with the rest of the attic space. The previous owner had the whole third floor attic drywalled and finished, which is fantastic for me, because that would’ve been one heck of an undertaking! Even though the rest of the attic space has this same texture, it’s up higher and mostly disappears into the overall space. It was too prominent in this room, being that close to it. It looks much better now!
I know, some really RIVETING stuff here on week two of the One Room Challenge! But that means next week is one of my faves, PAINTING! See ya back here next week when I will be sporting a bunch of dried paint under my fingernails!
-Michele aka Kiki
